EU Citizens Spend $27.3 Billion On Drugs Annually

There is a new report that contains a surprising figure on the level of drug use in the European Union. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), EU citizens spend more than 24 billion euros ($27.3 billion) every year on illegal drugs such as cannabis and heroin. The report warns about the funding for terrorism and organized crime but the report is an insight into the level of drug use in Europe.

Europol director Rob Wainwright estimated about one third of all identified organized crime groups “are involved in the drug trafficking trade.” Of course, advocates for legalization would say that the solution is to allow greater legal source for such drugs. That position is strengthened by the fact that cannabis led in 2013 with 38 percent of the market. Heroin is the second most popular at 28 percent with cocaine at 24 percent. Amphetamines are estimated at 8.0 percent while ecstasy is estimated at 3.0 percent.

What was particularly interesting was his estimate that over 20 percent of those involved in smuggling migrants into Europe are also involved in drugs trafficking.

The entry paths are also changing. Heroin is increasingly trafficked via routes involving Africa, the southern Caucasus, Syria and Iraq. Obviously those are areas that are heavily laden with terrorism and groups like ISIS have been accused of trafficking in drugs.

13 thoughts on “EU Citizens Spend $27.3 Billion On Drugs Annually”

It becomes a criminal issue when a person has lost his ability to drive a car and kills an innocent person.

Not that it would change anything, but I would love to know why people insist on destroying themselves. Drug addiction is hell on earth and hurts all of us.

A death sentence for those who bring into our country commercial amounts of certain addictive drugs was proposed by G.H.W. Bush but refused by congress. Now that’s a group of people who know how to run a country.

When will we get it through out collectively thick skulls that the “War on Drugs” was and is a disaster. Assuming the drugs use in the U.S. is about the same per capita as Europe (perhaps not exactly correct but probably not too far off) then our direct spending on drugs is about $20B. About 10 years ago I read that the U.S. spent $20B in direct costs fighting the war on drugs but the indirect costs were about the same as the direct costs. Why are we doing this? Finally the President admitted what I have long advocated, the drug problem is not a criminal issue but a health issue.

“The report warns about the funding for terrorism and organized crime” yup – Washington D.C. & London – both autonomous city states whose actual operators are making trillions of dollars a year as the largest global terrorists and organized crime syndicates.

Isn’t that about $63 per person? Then break down the percentage spent per listed substance.

Is it any wonder why the EU citizens in general aren’t really concerned?

Now on the other hand what’s being spent on usage problems per total capita?

About the only way to get any real opposition to this issue, or any other, will be when the people perceive a real emergent catastrophic danger to themselves. Right now it’s guns and bombs. We are only now teaching people, if no escape, to assault the attackers….hiding under tables or behind counters doesn’t work.

Besides, doubt drugs are funding ISIS etc anywhere close to the black market oil market.
Our Mexico border is another issue. Once again, until a major incursion occurs, who really cares about those ranchers on the border? It’s going to take an attributable major catastrophe to galvanize US citizens. Even then, we’ll only stay on board for 4-5 yrs max.